


Memento

by Melodious329



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26051563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melodious329/pseuds/Melodious329
Summary: Alex can't really remember his family.  All he has are small mementos to remind him.  It's a tradition that he keeps throughout his life, keeping a small memento from people that he loved and, inevitably, lost.  But when Hank catches him stealing from the lab, will it bring them into greater understanding?
Relationships: Hank McCoy/Alex Summers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Memento

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a prompt that I lost long ago.

Alex makes his way away from the hallway with the blue liquid filled test tube he'd just taken from Hank's lab. There were so many that he figures the nerd will never miss it. He’s almost to his bedroom when he suddenly hears Hank yelling after him. 

"Where is..? You have it," Hank says running over. His query becomes a confused statement as he approaches. "Why do you.. You stole that!"

Alex's hand tightens around the test tube, unwilling to give up his prize. His defense is always offense so he yells back, "They were just sitting there! You had a dozen."

"That doesn’t matter; I need that!" Hank yells. "Why were you even in the lab?"

"You don't tell me where to be!" Alex retorts.

"Give it back!" Hank tries, giving up reasoning with the other boy. 

"No," Alex responds snidely. 

Watching Hank throw up his hands in a huff is hilarious to Alex. He doesn’t worry until the taller boy storms off, murmuring, "I’m getting Charles."

Alex's humor disappears at those words and he hurries into his room, knowing he doesn’t have long. His mementos are spread on the bed, the tube in his fist meant to join them. Grabbing a pillow, he pulls off the pillowcase. He's just about to sweep everything into the pillowcase when his door opens.

"He's taking things from the lab," Hank says and then he sees all the objects on the bed. These things clearly belong to Charles and the others too. "Look, he is stealing!" he cries.

Charles brushes past and calmly takes stock of the situation, though it’s hard to ignore the desperation radiating off of both boys. The objects on the bed were clearly not taken for profit; they're a mishmash of random things that are clearly emotionally important to the blonde boy before him.

Stoically he sits down on the side of the bed, noticing how Alex flinches at his nearness. "These things aren't stolen," the older man states.

"But," Hank starts.

Charles ignores the interruption. "These things are everyone you've ever loved," Charles says, sweeping a hand over the assortment. “They’re mementos.”

Alex doesn’t speak. But when Charles picks up a small enamel powder compact, Alex only just manages not to snatch it out of his hand. The idea of losing these items makes his heart clench like someone is squeezing it. 

"This belonged to your mother," Charles says. Flashes of Alex's past appear, although he doesn't delve inside the boy’s mind. He sees Alex as a younger child holding this compact to his forehead with tears in his blue eyes, smelling the faint scent of the powder. 

With the respect the objects deserve, Charles puts the compact down and picks up a toy car. "And this your brother's." There's a money clip belonging to Alex's father, and a ribbon from a foster sister, and a pin from a kind child services employee. There's nothing from Alex's time in prison, but there is something from each of the mutants that Charles has collected here, even Darwin. 

Everything is small and clearly meant for travel as Charles glances at the pillowcase clutched in Alex's hand. There is a small knick knack of Charles’ own that he hadn't even noticed was gone. He picks it up.

These objects were clearly important to their owners. "I think I can do better than this," Charles says. He has a gold chain from his grandfather that he never wears. "It will be lighter to carry than this," he explains with a small smile. "And Hank will give you something in exchange for the test tube, something meaningful to him. Hopefully it'll remind you that you will always have a home here." 

Charles looks over at the scientist before standing up to leave. Hank is scowling at the instructions but acquiesces. "Fine, give it to me," he says. 

Alex raises his eyebrows. "In exchange," he reminds the brunette and gestures for them to leave his room.

In a huff, Hank leads the way back to his lab. He grabs a petri dish that he's already determined to be unreactive, but it's blue like the test tube. 

"I don't know why you want this," Hank gripes as he hands over the petri dish. He waits anxiously as Alex makes a show of holding the dish up to the light, inspecting it before finally having over the test tube. "Charles would never kick you out."

Alex scoffs and raises an eyebrow. "He doesn't have to kick me out. I know when someone wants me to leave," Alex defends. Darwin’s untimely departure is a heavy weight that he doesn’t speak of.

"Why would he do that?" Hank's queries naively. 

Alex looks at him like he's a moron. "I was in prison and now I'm living in a mansion. That ain't gonna last."

"But he obviously knows you were in prison," Hank argues. Though suddenly he’s not meeting Alex’s eyes. "What else would make him do that?"

"Making the other kids uncomfortable," Alex murmurs, knowing exactly what would get him kicked out. But as he drops his eyes to stare at Hank's full lips, he has the sudden thought to throw caution to the wind. It’s going to happen sooner or later, better to get it over with than live in the anticipation of it. 

So he wraps a hand around the back of Hank's head and pulls him into a kiss. He takes advantage of the other boy's shock to lick at those lips but he pulls away as soon as Hank starts to panic, big hands clutches at his shoulders.

"Cause I'm a pervert," Alex says quietly before taking his new memento and fleeing back to his room.

His heart is hammering as he grabs the earlier abandoned pillowcase. He knows he can't stay. What he said is true, Charles may not kick him out, but Hank will hate him and the other kids will bully him, and then he might lose control of his power again. 

All he will take with him are his mementos. He could definitely use the clothes but he's not a thief. There will be a kid after him here who needs them. 

But once again Hank interrupts his flight by bursting into his room. "Alex, wait... What?" Hank says nonsensically as he surveys the scene. He looks confused at the full pillowcase in Alex's hand. "I wanted to..." He steps closer to Alex, looking at him shyly. "I want..."

Alex's expression turns from anger to curiosity to hope. Hesitantly, he reaches a hand to Hank's face and slowly smiles as the touch is accepted. He leans back in for another kiss and this time Hank responds. Alex moves his hand from Hank's cheek to pull at his shirt, pulling Hank closer. 

Alex knows that he’ll still have to leave eventually, but he plans to enjoy this until then. 

@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@

Everything changes after the events on the beach. Charles becomes a ghost and Sean returns to his family for a while. Alex spends more time holding each memento, remembering the good times and trying not to think that he's being abandoned again. But he doesn’t plan on leaving.

Because there’s Hank and Alex isn't a total asshole. He knows the big lug is upset about his new mutation, about being seen as a freak. Even after everything, after his mutations managed to save Alex's life, Hank would give it up to be normal. Alex thinks that is stupid, but he tries to be sensitive. He tries to show that he isn’t going to abandon Hank after everything they’ve been through and certainly not for the way Hank looks. Determined to support the big blue dummy, he hangs out in the lab, pestering the mutant. He brings sandwiches to make sure Hank eats. He reaches out, touching Hank, squeezing his shoulder, rubbing a hand down his back. He wants to make sure that Hank knows that he’s not afraid to touch.

But Hank just shrugs off his attempts at affection and that hurts the most. Each time is like a wound that refuses to heal. Alex bites back words meant to wound. Instead, he slinks away to stare at his mementos, holding the petri dish to his forehead. He tries to remember those moments when Hank touched him, held him, made him feel safe and loved. 

Finally, Alex is so frustrated that he bypasses affectionate touches and goes straight to sexual. He finds Hank in the lab and comes up behind the other mutant seated on a stool. He can feel that way that Hank tenses at his presence, but he reaches around to stroke his hands down Hank’s chest, down all the way to Hank’s crotch.

“Whoa,” Hank shouts, scrambling to stand up and move away from the hands. “What’re you doing?”

“I think it’s obvious,” Alex says, moving close again. 

“We can’t,” Hank sputters. “I mean, with me like this, isn’t it…”

Alex is taken aback. “What? You think mutants aren’t human now?”

Hank opens his mouth, unsure what he’s going to say, but Alex isn’t interested in hearing it anyway. Words are clearly useless so he simply pulls the other man into another kiss. This time he worms a hand into Hank’s pants, making sure that Hank is too aroused to pull away. He can feel the blue mutant giving in. They stumble down the hallway to Hank’s room where Hank manages to pull off their shirts. Alex is only concerned with opening Hank’s fly. With his other arm, Alex wraps around Hank’s hips, pulling them together belly to belly. 

The soft fur is an appealing contrast to the hot length of Hank’s impressive erection against his skin. Alex pushes down his own pants with haste, not wanting to give the other mutant a second to clear his head. Reaching up, he wraps his arms around Hank’s neck as they rut together. He feels those huge hands roam over his back, cup his ass, before finally delving between his cheeks. Alex moans and turns his head to kiss Hank’s neck. 

The first press of that finger inside him causes Alex’s legs to shake. He melts against the large blue body as Hank concentrates on opening him up slowly. Hanging off of Hank’s neck, Alex lifts his chin to bite underneath Hank’s jaw. He can feel the now more impressive cock jump against his belly and he moans in anticipation. 

Suddenly he finds himself on his back on the bed, his head still spinning in his lust. His hands grasp at the blue fur as Hank leans over him, pressing his legs up so those blue fingers can resume their teasing. Alex yanks on the fur and rolls his hips into the thrusts. But when those fingers leave him wanting, he scrambles up onto his knees. 

He pushes at the hulking blue form, his strength clearly no match, but Hank acquiesces and lays down on his back. Climbing atop the other man’s hips, Alex guides the engorged member to his hole. 

“I have wanted this,” Alex moans as he begins to sink down on the seemingly huge pole. 

Bracing himself on a furry chest, Alex rolls his hips and sinks further and further down. Only once he’s fully impaled does he bring his feet up on the bed, repositioning himself to lean back against Hank’s knees. His thighs work as he begins to move, the position hitting his sweet spot and he brings himself down with more force. 

Hank’s hands are gentle on his hips, but Alex doesn’t want gentleness, not after everything they’ve suffered. He rolls his hips like a dancer for a moment, before leaning forward again, grabbing Hank by the back of the neck to pull him into sitting up. Alex continues undulating as their lips meet once again. Alex tries to put all of his emotions into their kiss, his need, his loyalty, his...love. 

Hank is the one to break their kiss, crying out as he grips pale hips with strength, pulling the smaller body down into the brutal thrusts of his orgasm. Alex can barely get a grip on his own dick as he’s jostled. Hank lies back slowly, chest still heaving and hips shuddering as Alex begins to cum, striping the blue fur. Alex tries to draw it out, not wanting it to end, not wanting to go back to the concerns of their life. He wants to stay in this moment forever, as he squeezes the head of his cock and shudders. 

Eventually, though, Alex falls to the bed at Hank’s side, exhausted. He figures he can at least look forward to a night's sleep cuddled together when Hank suddenly pulls away. The blue mutant is getting out of bed. That's when Alex finally sits up. 

"I need to head back to the lab," Hank explains himself. Then he hands over Alex’s pants. 

Instinctively, Alex begins to curl up protectively, bringing his knees to his chest. His chest feels like a sucking chest wound. And on top of the shattering feeling of abandonment, he's humiliated. His cheeks pink as he blushes, clutching his clothes.

"Fine, whatever," Alex snaps, swinging his own legs over the other side of the bed. His movements are stilted as he stands up and barely drags on his boxers before he's stumbling out of Hank's room. 

His heart can't take this, he thinks. In prison, he knew that the worst had already happened. But here, he's been stupid enough to hope, hope that he's finally found a place to belong. But hope only brings pain when it is inevitably crushed. He keeps packing this pillowcase, over and over again, letting hope into his heart. 

His hands are shaking as he puts each piece into the pillowcase. But he pauses when he picks up the petri dish, considering it. He no longer knows if it's a memory that he wants to bring with him. That’s when Hank walks in, of course. 

“What’re you...Are you leaving?” the blue mutant asks stupidly. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty clear that no one wants me here,” Alex responds nastily, still holding onto the petri dish. 

“What? That’s not true,” Hank starts, but Alex cuts him off. He’s not interested in being persuaded again. 

“You just kicked me out of your bed!” Alex shouts, inadvertently crushing the glass dish in his fist. 

Blood immediately drips from between Alex’s fingers onto the bed causing Hank to rush forward. He reaches out to grip the wrist of Alex’s injured hand, holding on as the blonde tries to jerk away. “You’re hurt,” Hank says. “Let me see.”

But Alex won’t be sensible and he continues trying to fight against Beast’s much stronger grip. He refuses to open his fist and let go of his memento, crying “It’s mine!” 

Beast growls, loud and menacing with bared fangs right in Alex’s face. His instinctive action shocks him and he freezes, eyes wide. But Alex isn’t fazed at all. In that moment, Hank realizes that Alex never has been frightened of him. Alex never treated him any differently because of his feet or being the ‘Beast’, not even pitying him or being careful of his feelings. 

He pulls at Alex’s wrist, “Come on,” he says. “I have medic supplies in my room.” He drags the smaller man with him out the door. 

It’s not until he’s dragged Alex in front of his bathroom sink that the shards of the glass petri dish are finally released. “I’ll get you another,” Hank says sadly as he brings the tweezers to the bloody palm. 

“Who says I want one,” Alex sneers. “Why do I want to be reminded of another asshole who left?”

Hank bites back his denials because he knows that they won’t do any good. For one thing, Alex never lets him have the last word. But he can also see Alex’s point. He thinks of that pillowcase, with just a handful of objects inside that apparently represent the few happy times of Alex’s life, that represent mostly dead people. He knows that Alex needs these mementos because he can’t really remember his family. 

He didn’t mean to hurt Alex. He thought that he was protecting the other man by staying away, but he only hurt them both. Wrapping Alex’s hand in gauze, he then wraps the other man in his arms. 

“Let’s just go back to bed,” he says. 

“I thought you needed to go to the lab,” Alex sneers. 

“I’m sorry,” Hank says, feeling the way that Alex’s fingers grip in his fur despite his angry words. It’s strange how the fur never feels strange to him. “Let’s just sleep.”

They roll into bed in a heap, tangled in each other and the messy sheets. Hank tries to grab a sheet to cover them, but Alex’s grip is tight, hands reaching up under his shirt. Again he is struck by the realization that Alex has never shied away from his mutations. In fact, Alex has always clung to him fiercely and does so now. 

Alex buries his face in the soft fur of Hank’s throat, curled around the larger furry body like a limpet. Hank pets him hesitantly, trying to soothe his fears. Hank didn’t understand before, how afraid Alex is, the extent of the other boy’s pain. He only saw the others’ smiling together and assumed that he was alone in his feelings. 

Alex is pulling him in so tightly that Hank decides to roll over. He hates to smother the other man with his larger bulk, but slowly Alex’s grip loosens. Confused, Hank settles more firmly and is rewarded when Alex lets out a small sigh against his neck. It feels good, to shelter Alex, to make him feel safe and loved. Now he realizes that that’s what Alex was trying to do by reaching out to him again and again. 


End file.
